Student research helps inform council services

Young people from East Riding College have used their research projects to help shape local authority services in the region. The students gathered feedback from hundreds of learners about travel and mental health issues before presenting their findings to East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

Tom Newton-Howe, 17, said: “It was a great experience to be involved in this project and to be asked to present our findings to the committee. “Our fellow students at the College were keen to give their opinions on travel and mental health issues and we really felt that the councillors listened to what we were telling them.”

Paul Smith, assistant director at the College, said: “The students did an excellent job of pulling together the responses from their fellow students and presenting them to the council’s scrutiny committee.“The amount and quality of feedback they received meant that what they have presented to the council genuinely represents the views of young people on these two very important topics.”

Councillor Kerri Harold, chair of the scrutiny committee and a Beverley councillor, said: “I was astounded by the excellent work and the quality of the students' presentations.“They had clearly taken the time to research and consult their peers and the outcome of the process was testament to the hard work put in by all concerned. “It was a pleasure to have worked with the young people and I hope we can use this opportunity to strengthen the links between the Children and Young People Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the College."

The project was initiated in October when the council approached the College to undertake a research project for the scrutiny committee. Fourteen students, who are studying for health and social care and sport qualifications at the new campus in the Flemingate Centre, Beverley, met with councillors to decide which subjects to research.They carried out a travel survey, which more than 280 students completed, looking at issues such as methods of travel, cycle and bus schemes, and the costs of parking.They also developed a mental health tutorial with case studies and opportunities for feedback which was presented by tutors to more than 460 students.Findings from the surveys and tutorial feedback were then presented to the committee at County Hall by Tom Newton-Howe, 17, and 18-year-olds Zoe Graham, Lewis Young, Saffron Parker and Lydia Stebbing.